Spare wheel carrier and lock



Oct. 18, 1932. F. A. SMITH SPARE WHEEL CARRIER AND LOCK Filed July 2,1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l 29.0 s www 3235 Oct. 18, 1932. F, A, 5M|TH1,883,032'

SPARE WHEEL CARRIER AND LOCK Filed July 2, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Oct. 18, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oFErcE FREDERICK A. SMITH,OF NORTH CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO' OAKES` PRODUCTS CORPORATION, OFNORTH CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN YSIEARIE'WHEELCARRIER AND LOCK y Application led J'ulyv2, 1931. Serial-No. 548,398.

Thisinvention relates to spare wheel carrier and lock structureparticularly adaptable for supporting wire wheels and locking themthereto against theft.

An important object of the invention is to provide a support forreceiving the hub of a wheel, together with latch members operatingautomatically to lock the wheel to the support, and a lock for retainingthe latch members in latching or locking condition after application ofa wheel to the support.

A further objectv is to provide latch members which are spring actuatedto be normally withdrawn from the path of a wheel when applied to thesupport but which are eventually engaged by the4 wheel to be moved intolocking position, together with a lock operated cam member for holdingthe latch members in locking position and to prevent release thereofonly by the insertion and turning of a proper key in the lock mechanism.

A further object is to provide a simple, economically manufactured andefficient carrier and lock assembly for wire Wheels.

The above enumerated Vand other features of my invention areincorporated in the structure disclosed on the drawings, in whichdrawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical diametral section of a carrier structure and thehub of a wire wheel applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a section on plane II-II of Figure 1. o

The carrier structure shown comprises a circular disc 10- which may beof sheet metal and'which iscentrally deflected frontwardly to form thehead or boss 11 of circular cross section. The disc 10 may be supportedin any suitable manner from the body-of a vehicle at any desiredlocation thereon, and the disc has the frontwardly extending peripheralflange 12 forming a seat for the inner cross wall 13 of the hubVstructure 14 of a wire wheel. The cross wall 13 has the central opening15 surroundedfby the frontwardly extending flange 16, the diameter ofthe opening being such that the opening may receive the head 11 onthecarrier disc 10, the front end of the head being rounded or convex asyshown so that they Wheel may be Vmore readily applied thereto.

" The head 11 has oppositely disposed slots 17 and 18 extendingfrontwardly from the disc 10, and extending diametrally in the headbetween` the slots is a frame. constructed of sheet metal side plates 19and 20 deflected laterally at their ends to form flanges 21 by means ofwhich the frame may be rigidly secured to the inner side ofthe head 11as by welding, riveting, or otherwise. Midway between their endstheplates of the frame have respectively the semi-circular deflections 224and 23 forming a cylindrical bearing chan.-

nel 24 which is coaxial with the head 11. Adj acentto the'bearingdeflection, the plates are in contact for a distance as indica-ted inFigure 2and may be welded vor riveted together at that point. Attheirouter ends the plates are separated to leave channels 24 and 25respectively which are in Valignment with the slots 17 and 18 in thehead 11. Within the channel V24: a pawl or latch member 26 is pivoted ona pin 27. extending through and supported by the adjacentvseparated endsof the frame plates 22 and 23, and the'pivot pin may be heldin placeby acotter pin 28; Within the channel 25 is asimilar pawl or latch member-29pivoted on a pin 30 locked in place by a cotter pin 31. The pawl orlatch members are of generally rectangular shape and are supported bythey pivot pinsnear their inner rear corners as clearlyy shown in Fig`ure l. A spring 32 is pro-vided for each latch member, the spring beingcoiled about the pin with one end thereof engaging against the rear edgeof the respective latch member and the other end of the spring beinganchored to the side plates .22 and 23 of the latch meinber supportingframe, the springs tending to yieldingly swing thefront ends ofthelatchv members inwardly'within the slots 17 and 18 respectively. In its:outer edge each latch member has the recess or notch 33 leaving thefront and rea-r abutment ends 34 and 35, thebottoms of the recesses 33being below y the outer surface of the head 11.

.tance through the slots bef'ond the outer 'face @a Y 1 J 1 Q of thehead 11 to be in tue paraA oi the 'tlange V16 on thev hub wall 13 whenthe wheel is applied tothe head, and as the hub is moved rearwardly toabut the flange 120i the disc the pa-wl or latch members are swungrearufardly and their vfront ends 3ft are projected outwardly throughthe slots 17 and 18 respectively to be in front ot the flange 16.

To hold and lool; the latch members in their hub locking position, a camdisc 36 is provided which is or" substantially elliptical or ovateshape. The cam disc has the central polygonal opening 37 tor receivingthe polygonal neck 38 on the bearing stud 39 which extends into and hasbearing in the bearing channel 2e'- iiormcd by the latch membersupporting frame. Extending aniall* into the trame 11 is a cylindricalsleeve or housing l0 secured by its outer flange l1 against the outsideof the head. A loclrcylinder 42 is rotatable within the housing and islocked against axial movement by an annular hey 43. t its inner end theloci; cylinder has a tongue lll in the groovcl formed in the head 4:6 onvthe bearing stud 39, so that when the loch ycylinder is turned by meansor' a key the. stud and the cam disc thereon will be rotated. i The camdisc engages with the latch members substantially radially inwardly oftheir front ends 3e, andY when the major axis of the cam disc is inalignment with the latch members, the latch members will be held intheir outwardly swung` position with their ends 3d projected to be intrort ot the wall 13 to prevent rein/oval ci the wheel from the carrier.W ien the cam is' turned with its minor anis in aligm zth the latchmembersthe springs will si the latch members inwardly to withdraw theirends 34 from the path of the hub wall 13 so that the wheel may beremoved. ln order to properly align the cam disc relative to the latchmembers, it has an abutment wing 4,-..7 providing the abutment shoulders4:3 and 419 spaced substantially ninety degrees apart, the shoulder 48abutting against the side of the lower latch member 29 when the majo-raxis ofthe cam disc is in alignment with the latch members, as indicatedin Figures 1 and 2, and the shoul-' der i9 abutting against the side otthe upper latchmember when the cam disc nnnor anis is in alignment withthe latch members, as indicated by dotted lines in lFigure 2. Theabutment shoulders thus define the limits of rotation of the cam discfor the proper setting of the latch members. Y u

To close the rear end of the head 11 in order to prevent unlawful accessto the locll: parts, a plate 50 is secured against the back of thecarrier disc 10.

Briefly repeating the operation of the structure, the latch members arenormally held retracted'inwardly as 'shown by the dotted lines in Figure1, and the inner Wall 13 ol the hub of the wheel to be carried isshifted onto the head 11 until it abuts against the flange 12 ot thedisc 10; During its passage along the head the'rou'nded edge ot theopening encounters the rear ends or projections of the latch members andthe latch members are swung with their iront ends 34; outwardly toproject these ends through the slots 17 and 18 respectively land intoposition in iront of the flange 16.` The lock which was normally inposition with the cam minor axis in alignment with the latch members isnow turned by a suitable key to rotate the cam disc to bring its majoraxis into alignment with the latch members. and the cam disc is then inposition with its; ends directly below the inner edges of the `latchmembers and locks the members in their extended position so that thewheel cannot be removed. `When the wheel is tov be removed, the lock isturned by the key toL rotate the cam disc 190 degrees so that thesprings 32 may retract the latch members advance of the wall 13 as thewheel iswithdrawn trom the head 11. It is evident that the rear ends orprojections 35 of the latch members may be omitted andthe latchmembersswung outwardly into locling'position by the turning of the cam disewith'the lock after the wheel has been applied to the carrier. Thisarrangement will of course re` quire more effort to turn theA lockagainst 'the resistance ot the latch member springs, but byproviding-the ends 35,. the pressure of the wheel when applied to thecarrier will swing out the latch members so that the lockl can be turnedto rotate the cam disc into locking position with very little effort andwithout straining the lock.

My improved carrier and locking structure is of simple and durableconstruction, theparts being ysubstantially all made from sheet metal bymeans of simple dies, so that the structure can be very economicallymanufactured.

l do not desire to be limited to the exact construction and arrangementshown as changes and modifications may be made without departing fromthescope of the in- Vention as defined by the appended claims.V

claim as follows: y

1. ln a spare wheel lock structure, the combination ot a supportingmember for re'- ceiving the hub of a spare Wheel, latch memberspivotally mounted kon said supporting member, Ymeans tending to.yieldingly hold said latch members in unlatching position, and a lockcontrolled cam member for en- IUD? gaging with and holding said latchmembers in latching position. l

2. In spare wheel carrier and lock mechanism, the combination with asupport having a head thereon for receiving the apertured wall of thehub of a wheel to be carried, latch members pivoted within said head tobe swung yto project their ends to the exterior of the head to lockingposition in front of a hub wall mounted on the head, springs tending toswing said latch members to unlocking position, a cam disc within saidhead adapted in one position to permit said springs to swing said latchmembers to unlocking position and adapted in another position to engagewith said latch members to swing them into locking position, means forturning said cam disc, and abutments on said cam disc deiining thelimits of movement thereof.

3. In'spare wheel carrier and lock mechanism, the combination with Vasupport having a head thereon for receiving the apertured wall of thehub of a wheel to be carried, latch members pivoted within said head tobe swung to project their ends to the exterior of the head to lockingposition in front of a hub wall mounted on the head, springs tending toswing said latch members inwardly, a cam disc within said head adaptedin one position to permit said springs to swing said latch members tounlocking position and adapted in another position to engage with saidlatch members to swing them into locking position, means for turningsaid cam disc, and abutments on said cam disc for abutting against saidlatch members to define the limits of' rotation of said cam disc.' p

Il. In a spare Wheel carrier and lock structure, the combination of asheet metal supporting member having a head deflected therefrom forreceiving the apertured wall of the hub of a. wheel to be carried, saidhead having slots therein, a frame formed of sheet metal sides extendingdiametrally through said head between said slots with said sides spacedapart at their ends to form channels in alignment with said slots, latchmembers pivoted in said channels to swing radially and having ends forprojection through said slots to be infront of and to prevent removal ofa wheel hub applied to the head, springs tending to swing said latchmembers to unlocking position, said frame sides being deiiected to forma. bearing passage, a stud journalled in said passage, a cam discmounted on said stud between said latch members, said cam disc in oneposition permitting inward swing of said. latch members by their springsto unlocking position, land in another position engaging said latchmembers to hold them in extended position for locking a wheel to thehead, a key operated lock mounted in said head and connected with saidstud for turning said cam disc to control said 'latch members. v

to be supported, latch members pivoted in said supporting member andhaving front and rear projections, means normally yieldingly holdingsaid latch members swung inf` locking position rwith their frontprojections dispiaced from the path of an applied wheel hub but withtheir rear projections in the path of the'wheel hub, and means wherebywhen said rear projections are engaged by a wheel hub said latchmembers` are swung to position their front projections in lockingposition in iront of the appliedv wheel hub to prevent removal of thewheel from' said support, and lock controlled means for locking saidlatch members in such locking position.

(i. In spare wheel carrier and lock structare, the combination of asupporting member having a head thereon for receiving the hub orn awheel to be carried, latch members pivot-ed in said head, said headhaving slots and said latch members having front and rear projectionsfor extending through said slots, springs tending to swing said latchmembers to unlocking position to withdraw their iront projections fromthe path of a wheel hub appliedA to the head but to hold their rearprojections in the path of the hub, and means whereby the engagement ofa wheel hub with said rear projections will swing said latch members tobring their front projections into locking position in front of thewheel hub to thereby prevent `removal of the wheel from the carrier, acam member between said latch members, and a lock for rotating said canimember to lock said latch members in locking position.

7. In a spare Wheel lock structure, the coinbination of a supportingmember ior receiving a spare wheel, a latch member pivotally mounted onsaid lsupporting member and normally held in unlocking position, andmeans controlled by the application' of a wheel to the carrier to rotatesaid latch member to locking position, and means for locking said latchmember in locking osition.

8. In a spare wheel loc r structure, the combination of a supportingmember for receiving the hub of'a wheel to be locked, a latch member onsaid supporting member, means normally holding said latch member inunlocking position, means controlled by the application of a wheel hubto said supporting member for positively moving said latch member tolocking position, and lock means for locking said latch member inlocking position. v

9. In a spare wheel lock structure, the combination of a supportingmember for receiving the hubl of a wheel to be locked, a latchl isamember pivotally mounted on saidsupporting member, means normallyholding said latch member in unlocking position, an abutment on saidlatch member adapted to be engaged by an applied Wheel to rotate saidlatch member to locking position, and means for .locking said latchmember in locking position.-

10. In a spare Wheel look structure, the Combination of a supportingmember for receiving the hub of a spare Wheel, latch members pivotallymounted on said supporting member, yielding means normally holding saidlatch members in unlocking position, abutments on said latch membersadapted to be engaged by an applied Wheel to swing said latch members tolocking position, and a key Controlled locking member for locking saidlatch members in locking position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at NorthChicago, Lake County, Illinois.

FREDERICK A. SMITH.

